#which will absolutely matter if we get the other two books as seasons

[usuallydyinginside]

TLDR: Francesca Bridgerton is Autistic. Fight me.

Okay so I did not go into Season 3 of Bridgerton expecting to have any feelings about Francesca Bridgerton. We have seen her only in glimpses in the show and I have not read the books, so I knew basically nothing about her before binging the first four episodes.

But guys. GUYS. I will die for this autistic queen.

Okay, so starting with first impressions. We know that on her big day, Francesca went out of her way to avoid her nosy, loud family by having a very early, quiet breakfast by herself and then calming down via playing the piano (clearly a special interest of hers).

In her first balls, we see Francesca light up any time she talks about music (clearly her current or forever special interest) but as soon as men try to take it to a flirting place she IMMEDIATELY shuts down. It's clear that even as she states very matter-of-factly that she plans to marry this season, she also is baffled and uncomfortable any time someone tries to actually, ya know, court her.

At one of her first shindigs, she got attention and then went up to her brother and (while making almost no eye contact) told him (rather than asked him) that she needed a sec.

She then sat by herself in the side of the ballroom.

Later on, she left a ball in search of quiet and solitude to fix her sensory overload, so she went outside this time. (A thing that we know from pervious seasons is a HUGE no-no, particularly unchaperoned. But she was very respectfully near the door so maybe that's fine?) The point is that she cares very much about staying respectable so she can get this marriage thing over with and get people to stop perceiving her, yet she risks some scandal by going outside just so she can be somewhere quiet alone.

Enter: this absolute (also autistic) Prince Charming.

He says hello (so she knows he's not like trying to sneak up on her in the dark like a creep) and then just stands there. 10/10, no notes, best way to flirt I have ever seen in my life.

Seriously just look at this. I'm in love. Never before has there been a greater sign of love at first sight than in this "standing politely five feet apart in total silence in the middle of a ball and enjoying each other's company."

I need to go watch these first four episodes about a hundred more times, but I THINK this might be the first sincere smile we see from Francesca??!? I at least got the impression immediately that this is the first time she's felt genuinely comfortable and happy while not entirely alone this season.

Like, these nerds did not even exchange names. They barely exchanged a word. Yet you can see them falling head over heels in love right there in that moment. I don't even LIKE love at first sight tropes and they have my whole heart. They are the only exception.

Then, of course, you have this second absolutely iconic Scene of Silence where the entire Bridgerton family stares in neurotypical confusion a these two amazing weirdos. The way these two do not know each other but they DO know each other. The way they are both so happy and so comfortable but also still playing the whole society game the way they were told they had to?? I just don't have words right now.

LOOK AT HER SMILE, GUYSSSSSSSS.

Look how happy this tiny, silent moment is making her. How she understands immediately what he's doing and is absolutely delighted to participate too even knowing her entire family is hardcore judging them from not that far away.

And then you get this smug little look from him and it's like you can see his autistic ass thinking, "Yes. I calculated correctly. This was the correct romance option. Gold star to me." (Okay, maybe that's just how my brain works but shhhhh)

Which, of course, brings us to this absolutely hilariously awkward ND attempt at flirting. We start off with some fairly normal "whoops, I'm flustered cause you make me nervous" sort of moments, but notice how little eye contact she makes. How she only looks in his eyes very briefly and it seems like she almost has to remind herself to do so when she's doing the "polite" answers (OR later when she's genuinely interested in a topic).

So as soon as Francesca is like "oh shit, I ruined it. I forgot how to neurotypical. It's over" then she loses patience with the practiced social niceties.

I spent like 30 minutes trying to find a GIF and I should already be asleep so I'm not going to go learn how to make one BUT I needed to look up exactly what happens next cause it's basically the most autistic thing I've ever seen.

WHICH IS that in response to the second awkward silence after Francesca shares all of this, John's response is, "That is helpful. If you'll excuse me."

Then dude bro just WALKS AWAY WITHOUT ANOTHER WORD.

Like it would be awkward anyway but now Francesca thinks she misread a social cue so she's feeling sad, and meanwhile this absolute king is over here on a romantic mission no one asked him to do because he is that set on showing her he's listening and cares.

The man shows up at the ball and as soon as he had a paper we were all screaming "he wrote her a song!!!"

Again, notice the eye contact (or lack thereof). I think with period dramas and women, it's easy to just go "oh she's just shy" or "she's just being demure like she's supposed to" but like NO. This girl does not want to meet anyone's eyes.

Until she does. Because in moments where she's talking about music or enjoying quiet, it's worth it to purposefully meet his eyes and see how he's feeling too. To make sure he can see she's happy.

ANYWAY, it was so much better than him writing a song for her.

SO. MUCH. BETTER.

Because he didn't just give her any ol' music. He sought out the music they'd specifically heard in the street, and he took her exact specifications on what was "wrong" with the music, and he FIXED IT. He then put the whole thing on sheet music and handed her a copy with no further explanation than this.

Our autistic lass was so excited she basically sprinted out of that ball so she could find a piano. (Which, the fact that she does this rather than try to stay and flirt/dance with the man who just gave her this incredible gift ALSO says a lot, just saying. Daphne could never.)

So our girl finds a piano and GUYS. LOOK AT HOW HAPPY SHE IS.

I'm pretty sure this woman would accept a proposal right this second. Maybe make one herself. She is so head over heels in love with this man that it's absurd. We have watched her mask in these first four episodes, but the last two where she's interacting with John are the first times she seems genuinely happy and like the real her is shining through.

Like, does she enjoy her family? Sure. But it's obvious (and she even tells us) that she finds them overwhelming and generally to be A Lot. But these scenes? This gesture?

You can just get how seen she feels. How weird and wild and amazing it is to her that this man can see who she actually is and wants to join her there instead of making her play some part of the perfect Bridgerton who likes to be the center of attention.

(And even here - the EYE CONTACT. She glances at people when she's talking to them, but the way she looks at the sheet music is so much more intense and intimate and personal than anytime she's looking at the average person in the show. She still even in places she's most comfortable, such as sitting at the piano, makes very little eye contact and only at very specific moments.)

Anyway I'm going to sleep now but I'm sure I'll add more thoughts as they come to me. Feel free to add your own case for why Francesca is autistic and/or otherwise neurodivergent. I want to hear allllllll the thoughts.

[threeacttragedy]

Entry 12: The One Where We Start Laying the Yellow Brick Road to Italy

I realized the other day that, even though I like to bounce around from place to place in the Lukola timeline, I probably needed to start tightening things up on the ship if I ever wanted to get to the end of the story. And, yes, dammit, this story better have a finale at some point because there’s nothing more annoying than an open-ended ending, particularly in the romance genre.

Today we’re going to take a quick jaunt over to Italy because –

NO! Not because Luke is allegedly filming there. If you’re into real-time stalking, you’re in the wrong blog. But, I’m sure there’s a Discord for that.

It’s because I’ve had several people ask for my opinion about the change in behavior between Luke and Nicola during their Day 1 interviews there. Wait – people are interested in my thoughts? Wow, that’s actually kind of nice. Thank you! Okay, back to what I was saying –

Was there a change in behavior when Luke and Nicola reached Italy? Yeah, actually, there kind of was.

By May 9, we had been gifted with a slew of material from Luke, Nicola, and the Bridgerton cast and, I must admit, those early interviews are some of the most entertaining of the tour. In the very beginning, Nicola appeared as the utmost professional – charming, intelligent, and witty at the right moments – and Luke played her likeable counterpart to “Book Colin” perfection – bouncing between being awkwardly boyish and wickedly roguish, all while looking at Nicola like she had just served him homemade peanut butter crumble.

The two of them together, playing off each other, in my opinion, was better than Bridgerton Season 3 (you cannot beat the World Tour being 99% Luke and Nicola, with only a few random side characters taking up screentime). There was some major “Electric Love” radiating from those two throughout the tour, but it seemed very much heightened in the beginning (probably because they hadn’t yet answered the same question 67 times). By the way, if you haven’t heard that song by Børns, go have a listen. It will, at the very least – hopefully – put you in an upbeat mood for the day.

Now, where was I? Oh, yes – was there a change in behavior between Luke and Nicola when they reached Italy?

Absolutely.

Do I know why?

Absolutely not.

Perhaps Luke was bent because someone spilled his coffee, or Nicola was upset because her stylist made her to wear that little silver bow in her hair. In my opinion, the most intriguing part of Day 1 of the Italy press junket was that Luke and Nicola struggled with answering the question, “What is love?” I swear they both babbled on like two kids in debate class who hadn’t bothered to read the material given to them before taking their respective podiums. They finally seemed to settle on Luke’s “Maybe it’s, like, connection.” Well, they seemed to be missing the “connection” that day.

Honestly, no one can explain their “don’t stand so close to me” vibe during those first day interviews except Luke and Nicola. But, we can at least have some fun and speculate about it with a bird’s eye view. At this point, you should know that I love spreading the puzzle pieces out and seeing how they might all connect. Most people – when putting a puzzle together – start with the side pieces, right? You’ll get my joke in a moment (I hope).

In March 2024 – I don’t know the specific date because my timeline is rather murky going back that far (I was unaware Lukola even existed!) – Luke traveled to Los Angeles for a photo spread with InStyle magazine. I’ve heard two versions of this story. The first being that Luke traveled to Los Angeles with Antonia alone; the second being that he traveled to Los Angeles with his friend group, which included Antonia. I couldn’t tell you which is true, and it really doesn’t matter because it doesn’t necessarily add or take away from today’s story.

Before I get started, I wanted to give a “hurrah” to The-One-Whose-Group-Chat-Fills-in-Lots-of-Missing-Bits-for-Me-Including-the-Part-Where-Video-Footage-of-Antonia-in-Los-Angeles-Seemed-to-Indicate-a-Celebrity-Was-Not-the-Videographer-and-There-Were-So-Many-British-Accents-in-the-Background-One-Would-Fancy-a-Guess-She-was-Traveling-with-a-Group.

Moving along…

On April 7, 2024, Antonia posted a series of photographs and clips to her Instagram grid indicating she had been in Los Angeles, including one where she was laying on a blanket in front of the Griffith Observatory and one where she was sitting at a table marked with the number “95.” On April 14, she posted a second set of photographs, tagging her location as Beverly Hills, California and using “End of Beginning” as her audio (yes, I side-eyed this choice of music so don’t feel bad if you did as well). The second photo dump included her lounging on a rooftop.

I’m not going to delve into posts made by Luke and Nicola during that timeframe. I mean, I’m sure Nicola’s comment, “’Friends’…sure Jan,” on Luke’s April 11 reshared post about Bridgerton Season 3 was only meant to be applicable to Polin. And, if Luke wanted to use yellow and black hearts to represent the colors Nicola and he were wearing in his April 12 post, that’s cool, too. And, I am definitely not going to speculate on Nicola’s April 15 post (for Big Mood) that Luke liked, and she captioned, “I will bite off anything that dangles.”

By April 21, Luke and Nicola were in Australia at the World Premiere of Bridgerton. I am only going to provide a quick overview of Australia instead of a full-fledged recital because, at some point, I will almost certainly dedicate an entry to this country. Let’s start with Luke pulling off the hottest walk-up in Netflix human history (I mean, have you watched it in slow motion?). Then, we had the hard launch of the handholding business (because why again?). And, we had Luke tripping over his words, “We’re very, like, giving…I’m not talking about those scenes…” Oh, and Nicola telling an interviewer that, “[y]ou can’t keep a good girl down,” and, in response, Luke’s lips curling into a wicked-ass Cheshire cat's. We had them in the garden, with Nicola bending down to hug Luke after she had scratched/hit/petted his head. Perhaps I should not mention the possibility of a man’s shirt being visible on a bed behind Nicola (I said possibility not that it was). And, Nicola telling Luke, “You’re the funnier one,” when he was concerned that perhaps Benedict was funnier than Colin. Then we had the “Nicola-in-the-green-dress” day where, as they were going down the steps, Luke seemed to instinctively reach for Nicola’s hand, but she played it cool and took his arm instead. Oh, and that entire “green dress” day in general (I mean, there was so much shit going on that day). And, best we do not forget Nicola saying, “the best foundation for love is friendship,” which mirrored the bracelet “someone…in Australia” gave Luke that read, “Do you believe the best foundation for love is friendship?” Because that’s not suspicious at all. Alright, let’s get the fuck out of Australia – but not before I mention Nicola commenting on Luke’s April 27 Instagram post with “Ready for the next?” and Luke replying, “Absolutely.” Yeah, yeah, yeah, their shenanigans in Australia expanded the USS Lukola tenfold.

Oh, also, let me throw this in here because, if you are a “ring truther,” this fact plays a significant role in the Lukola timeline. If you do not know what a “ring truther” is, that’s perfectly fine. You can catch up by reading Entry 6 (The One Where I Explained the Claddagh Ring to My Dad) of my blog. I mentioned in Entry 6 that some Lukola sleuths have stated the metadata they pulled from the sketches of the Claddagh ring uploaded by Chupi indicate they were done as early as April 26. In other words, it means the Claddagh was likely commissioned between Australia and Italy. In fact, if we are to believe Chupi when it said it took four weeks to make the ring, then it had to have been commissioned by May 9, 2024, at the latest. Oh, lookie there, that’s Day 1 of the Italy interviews.

But, before we get to May 9, let’s pause on April 29. That was the day Luke’s InStyle spread was published – yes, the one I mentioned earlier. Luke has pictures from this photoshoot still on his Instagram grid – in fact, Nicola commented, “Yess dude!!” on them – but those aren’t the pictures I want to talk about. No, I want to talk about the pictures InStyle posted on its Instagram grid that day. These photographs came directly from Luke, which was confirmed by the InStyle article when it said, “…the actor delighted the InStyle team by delivering the polaroid photos he’d taken for this story tucked oh-so-carefully in a little brown bag for safekeeping.” The pictures Luke provided, among others, included one where he was laying on a blanket in front of the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles; one where he was sitting at a table marked with the number “95;” and one where he is sitting in a lounge chair on a rooftop. If you want to see the pictures, InStyle still has them available – you just need to go through hundreds of posts to find them. Luke did not like this InStyle post, which was kind of odd because he was tagged in it, and they were reportedly his pictures.

Why did these InStyle polaroids seem so familiar?

Oh, that’s right, because they were.

Remember that April 7 post of Antonia’s I mentioned a bit ago? Yeah, the one where Antonia posted a bunch of random pictures from Los Angeles and – only after InStyle posted Luke’s polaroids – fans realized Antonia had preemptively posted her version of some of Luke’s polaroids.

I am not going to speculate too much about these pictures or their implications in this blog post, but these pictures may resurface in future posts because I find myself side-eyeing the fact they even exist. And, we should probably accept that Luke was aware of them before his pictures came out on April 29 because he threw a like on Antonia’s April 7 post. Could it have been a “blind” like? Sure, I guess, but the logical side of my brain says he probably looked through them at the time she posted. Let’s not worry too much about it right now, though.

After trying to write out my “general” opinion about the pictures several times, I finally decided that the best way I could articulate my thoughts was through the conversation I had with my father. Yes, Dear Dad returns again for another insightful Q&A.

I started by showing Luke and Antonia’s three “matchy” pictures to my dad and then asked him to compare them. To be clear, the pictures were their respective Griffith Observatory, Table 95, and Rooftop Lounging pictures.

Me: “So what do you think?”

Dad: “About what?”

Me: “Ugh! Why did Antonia take those pictures?”

Dad: “Well, to show she’s part of the ‘in’ crowd. The only reason I can see them being taken is if she was going to put them on the Internet.”

Me: “Uhh, as a matter of fact, she did put them on the Internet! Approximately three weeks before Luke’s were published.”

Dad: “See! I’m not as dumb as you think.”

Me: “Whatever. So, you really believe that? She took them to show people that she was, like, there?”

Dad: “Yeah. Why else would she take them? They’re not the kind of photos you’d take normally. What’s she going to do, put them in an album and show her friends in five years and say, ‘Look, I sat in Luke’s chair?’ Who does that? Nobody. Plus, Luke’s pictures look like they were taken with a polaroid camera and Antonia took hers with, I guess, a phone. Why use two different cameras? Again, it doesn’t make sense. Seems to me like she knew what pictures he was taking, and she was trying to copy them so she could put them on the Internet.”

Thanks, Dad.

You do not have to accept my father’s thoughts on the photographs. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. However, I think we can meet in the middle and opine that, at a minimum, Antonia’s pictures caused the weak Lukolas to jump overboard; at most, they gave some people stalker vibes; and somewhere in between, they introduced Antonia's negative influence over the fandom and what some may consider trolling behavior (even if it wasn’t recognized then).

Now, before we land in Italy on May 9, let’s summarize what has happened during the preceding two months.

First, we had Luke traveling to Los Angeles in March with Antonia, either alone or as part of a friend group. Luke had pictures of himself taken while there.

Second, we had Antonia posting pictures in early April that would be linked directly to Luke’s pictures by the end of the month.

Third, throughout the month of April, we had Luke and Nicola traveling together for the World Tour. We have all seen these interviews, and we have all formed independent opinions about them.

Fourth, based on Chupi’s own words, we know the Claddagh ring must have been commissioned no later than May 9.

Okay, now we’ve reached May 9, Day 1 of the Italy press junket.

Besides the press interviews, what happened on that day?

Well, Antonia reposted Luke singing Coldplay’s “Yellow” to her TikTok account.

Uhh… Huh. Interesting.

I mean, it’s possible that this was just a coincidence and she just liked Luke’s version of it. Or, it’s possible Antonia knew that “Yellow” was the Polin wedding song and she anticipated trolling Nicola and/or the fandom with it. But, if we believe she knew “Yellow” was the Polin wedding song, that means either Luke told her, or someone with that knowledge told her (i.e., someone from Luke’s team or family/friend group). We also know that Luke mentioned this song in the May 16, 2022 Netflix Tudum article when Nicola and he were asked about their song choices for Season 3. Luke stated his frontrunner was “Yellow” by Coldplay “because of Penelope’s dresses.” Regardless of why Antonia posted the song, I find it hard to imagine Netflix, Bridgerton, Shondaland, Nicola, or Luke were too impressed by Antonia resharing it on TikTok. I mean, at this point, Netflix & Co. would surely have been aware that Antonia’s “copycat post” went over with the fandom like a wet blanket in December in Canada. I imagine some questions were being asked and Luke may very well have received a hand slap from Corporate – and maybe even from Nicola.

But, that’s not the only thing that happened on May 9.

Luke posted his Homme magazine spread to his Instagram grid on that day, too. He captioned the post, “Chatting through all things S3 with @hommeplusmag [o]ut next week x.” Nicola commented, “Yessss,” and Luke tagged his post with the location of Hackney, London. That last part – about Luke tagging the location in Hackney – apparently sent the fandom into a deep-dive of…Nicola’s backyard. Why? Because Nicola lives in Hackney (Nicola herself confirmed she lived in Hackney in a March 18, 2024 interview with Derry Now), and rumors started to circulate that Luke’s pictures were taken at her home.

Hmm, I didn’t realize May 9 was such a busy day, did you?

So, which came first – the chicken or the egg? Did Antonia repost “Yellow” to her TikTok before Luke posted his Homme in Hackney images to Instagram, or vice versa? I’m sure someone out there has this information. The answer might help shine some light as to why Luke and Nicola seemed “off” in the early part of their Day 1 Italy interviews. But, then again, does the order really matter? Regardless of who posted first, it would seem to me that “Yellow” was a very possible culprit for the different energy on set that day.

That, or Luke really was peeved over someone spilling his coffee.

[rivalswrites]

Hello :3 How would Rivals characters react to their s/o being famous and appearing in ads and stuff (you choose which characters :3) I love your writing and cant wait for more😼

Them and you being famous!

Before you read, please be warned that I'm writing based on my impressions of them not only in the game (though it's the biggest inspiration), but some of them with the movies/shows in mind too.

Tysmm! I don't think you guys get how much it means to me when you guys tell me you guys like my writing (I imagine it's the same with other writers?)

I'm feeling the burn out due to school being back in session, but we prevail!! Who's excited for season 1?

Masterlist

She loves it, and is absolutely your number one supporter! Definitely the type to never skip anything you're in online- even if it's an ad for something she's so not interested in. And she's one hundred percent got some sort of merchandise of you, like a cut out magazine that's hung up on her wall with little hearts around your face.

Ever the supporter, she loves coming on set and watching you work. Be it a photoshoot, ad, or film of some sort, she's always there to support and cheer you on (she has definitely got in trouble from the people in charge for being a little loud).

Definitely a bragger, telling anyone who'll listen (poor tippy-toe) about her amazingly beautiful partner that's world famous (in her heart). Can't help but gush over you, it's almost natural at this point to her. Anyone who knows her, knows you and has seen at least one film you're in.

When the day is over and you get home, she's ready to help you relax! She's got a nice warm bath already run, a warm towel ready when you're done, and warm cuddles and movies while you both eat whatever junk you want (to hell with your manager and supposedly “needed” diet).

Overall: She is so supportive, and no matter what it is will be there to cheer you on and help wherever she can!

Fame isn't something huge to him- rather it's not something he pays much attention to. Status doesn't do much for his opinions to people, but that doesn't mean he won't look at your career.

He definitely has a magazine or poster of you in his main office somewhere, even if it seems a little inappropriate for a king to seem like such a fanboy. His sister will not let this go, and most certainly teases him about it.

Even though he's a busy man, he always makes time for you. He'll go to red carpets with you if that's something you do, he'll sit down and watch movies you star in during his free time. He'll even go out of his way to watch a dumb laundry ad you make a two second appearance in, because he loves you so.

While he works hard, he knows you work just as hard as he does- and he respects that. At the end of the day, the two of you will sit and relax with a nice dinner, cuddling up after in silence. He'll probably be reading a book while you do whatever you want- as long as you stay by his side until bedtime. Sometimes he'll stray from the pages and to your face and he'll think to himself- yeah, they're gorgeous, the world was right to make you famous.

Overall: He'll support your career from the sidelines, as much as he can. He loves you, and while he's busy, he makes time to see you bloom like a beautiful flower.

||•STRICTLY PLATONIC•||

She's totally freaking out when she finds out!! Like oh my gosh, her best friend/found family is famous? She knew she recognized you from somewhere, it was totally from that one movie you did! It's one of her favorites, you know.

All the time she'll ask you what it's like being famous like that, like yeah she is too but not like you are! Always asking questions about how the filming process of movies and even ads go.

Absolutely overjoyed when you invite her to join you on a photoshoot set, like omg yes she wants to see you strike some poses! She'll even try and copy you behind all the cameras and crew men, the smile on your face in those photos are definitely real. One time you asked her to join her for a photo and she basically popped like a balloon, she was so honored. (And yes, she reacted the same way when she saw those pictures were actually used in a promotion or magazine.)

Overall: She is so so supportive!! You're someone she looks up to and definitely has merchandise of you and posters up in her room.

He's used to it- fame. He's famous himself, why should he care if you are too? The mentality definitely isn't the best, but give him time- relationships are difficult for him. He'll get there eventually.

Has, and will always, go to red carpets with you- whether he got the invitation or you. And he only makes sure you two are in the best clothes money can buy (and he's got plenty to spare). The two of you are always the best dressed and most elegant people at the function.

All of your films or shows are on his watch list, and he watches them while he works. He's got an AI system that keeps track of any news about you (films, photoshoots, etc.) and notifies him about anything new. He's obsessed with you!

He definitely points you out in any type of media no matter where you are, and probably sends you a picture of it. Everyone around him is so tired of him pointing at a screen and yelling about his partner.

Will absolutely pay paparazzi to take pictures of you so he can keep them for himself - is that weird? Yes, but you probably do the same…

Overall: Loves your career and always keeps track of everything you do. Always supportive about whatever it is you do. Definitely the Internets otp.

Oh my god, yes! She gets you, and you get her!! The two of you definitely have each other's merch and often wear shirts with each other's face on it (paparazzi can't get enough of that).

Collaborations are always on the table, no matter what it may be. Photoshoots? Tell her what the theme is! Movie? She'd love a cameo! Want to do a collab song with her? It'll be the most cheesy romance song ever!

Your managers are so goddamn tired of you two asking for some sort of collaboration that they don't even check anymore- do whatever you want.

The Internet loves the two of you! Fan edits of you guys are insanely popular, especially when you guys do interviews together. Fan art and shitty fanfiction is extremely popular too, and it's adorable.

After long hours at work, the two of you sit on the couch in the most comfortable jammies you have and eat anything you want! Watching some god forsaken show with a horrible love triangle plot.

Overall: It's great, having someone by her side who knows how she feels about being famous. She loves hanging out with you, be it for work or at home.

[lux-ishii]

Episode 6 dropped and love is literally in the air... so let's dive in...

We start the episode with an interesting story of a Romeo and Juliette trope. Specifically, a Captain and a Calamari Prince fell in love and run away together, causing danger of war between their species by doing so.

You may think it has nothing to do with either Din or Bo, but if you read my previous post you already know everything is intentional.

They could put here anything, absolutely anything. A pirate, bounty hunter, escaped prisoner... But they put two lovers who with their actions could bring harm to others. It's not truly a happy story, as the woman said before her love confession:

You see, after rewatching previous seasons I noticed that The Mandoverse likes to foreshadow what will happen in one way or another. Mythosaur discovery was foreshadowed by The Armorer in The Book of Boba Fett, for example. So this story here could be a potential warning, or hint at what may happen to Bo and Din. A Princess with a fleet, and a man who isn't considered a true Mandalorian because of his origin (Axe's words). After this episode, I'm pretty sure that Din and Bo are already in love. However, they didn't take any on-screen action to solidify the things we see between the lines. I do believe their relationship will progress further, and...

They may reach the point where things get complicated just because of who they are. You see the lovers from this episode can foreshadow Bo's or Din's dilemma about what they should do for the greater good. They may fall apart if the cause of their interest won't align, or be on the way.

HOWEVER, it may also be used as a future contrast that despite these odds and differences, they would not give up on what they feel for each other. Which I think would go together with true Mandalorian nature. This season is all about what it means to be a true Mandalorian, which is not just a fight for power. It's about caring for one another, especially a family. Mandalorians are stronger together, after all.

More under the cut!

Can we take a moment to talk about how Din IS JUST THERE?

We were making theories if he will go with Bo or not when the show... literally treats them as one already. Whenever she goes, he goes, and vice versa. Without empty promises, they just do it.

And they "moved" to Bo's ship!

To dig into it further, this episode they were constantly walking side by side, to the point of going thru the doors together too if the space allowed it. You can check out this post >here< with more scenes

Glances.

As I mentioned in my previous posts, this form is a subtle tool for storytelling, yet it can hide a whole ton of meaning or can be truly innocent. This episode is full of glances, specifically put in interesting places and I will touch on those later.

Like this one is innocent, just saying "Where the hell we are?" without words.

I mention in the title of this post that "love is in the air" and here's another indication of it, a bizarre one to be sure as ex imperialist and a democrat fell in love despite their differences.

But... Grogu may be the biggest giveaway here:

We don't see Bo's or Din's reaction here at all, only the enthusiastic cooing of Grogu. I asked myself why? Because he matters too, as Din's son. Grogu could be excited about the couple and how happy they are together. He knows both Din and Bo struggle a lot, and they have dark, rather gloomy lives. What if his father was blessed with a love that would make him happy?

In this episode, we also have the first instance of someone recognizing Bo as a Mandalorian Royalty, despite the fact, there's technically nothing to rule for her. No planet, no people.

An indicator that for the outsiders she is still a rightful ruler, despite her own people not believing in her anymore.

Glances. She is not going to make this decision alone, looking for assurance in Din.

An then, at the mention of her ruling Mandalore again she responds with:

Bo doesn't want to rule Mandalore anymore. A theme that goes on since the beginning of the season. But I think just this episode we got a glimpse of the true reason why those plans truly changed.

We got a great sequence with Good Cop - Bad Cop trope. Bo and Din gave us some Detective AU right here, make it black and white and we get a whole Noir setup ready to launch...

But back to the topic. This was yet another example of how they complement each other. Bo's more soft and rational approach would lead to nowhere or would take way longer if not Din's aggressive and hostile take on the matter, and vice versa.

They aren't only a great team, they need each other.

Glances.

Bo for the first time saw the darker side of Din. We knew he had one, but she's pretty taken aback by his hatred of droids. Nonetheless, it doesn't make her fearful of him.

Quite the opposite in fact

as she becomes his voice of reason to hold his horses. She's not scared he would get back at her with this attitude at all.

They had a brief conversation about his hostility, and I'm glad they allowed Bo-Katan to remove her helmet because what Katee is doing with expressing her emotions is phenomenal.

This innocent sentence awakens a lot if you know where to look. And if not I will just show you.

Glances. After the droid, a machine that can outlast probably generations if maintained properly puts importance on human life, and how short it truly is Bo and Din look at each other, accompanied by a romantic melody.

Devil is in the details, as Bo took a deep breath before breaking contact with Din.

What does it mean? As per usual it can mean nothing, or it can mean a thing, and you know me already, I will talk about the thing. You never know when someone's words might hit you, and I think that droid hit Bo and Din pretty strongly. In this lifestyle, they both share, life is even more dangerous than the citizens of that planet. It's a constant battle for survival. Wars, monsters, your own kind... Everything can kill you if you are Mandalorian.

So they might think that there's no time to waste. An indicator that the actions may be taken soon. A way of saying "Life is short so we can as well live together".

The investigation is a success, DinBo detectives can be proud of themselves for solving the issue, and as they came back to the Duchess with the results, we are once again struck with something. The motives of a man responsible for malfunction have their core in his hatred for the ex-imperial husband of the Duchess. So Duchess Lizzo blesses us with this line:

You see, both Din and Bo have past. And those who know TCW know that Bo's past is terrible. She made huge mistakes when she was younger, and she pays for them to this day.

I don't have a gif here, but at this moment you can see how Bo is moved by the exchange of these words, and you can see it all over her face, as her gaze is running away somewhere else.

Lizzo then recognizes the efforts, Bo and Din made, which put a smile on Bo's face. A rare sign, but it only gets better.

You see, I think Bo-Katan is genuinely happy here because she did something good, and her efforts are recognized.

It's safe to say that back at Kalevala, she was severely depressed. Thinking of herself as a failure that caused the doom of her planet and everyone she loved. Everyone left her, no one cared for her, and she was all alone. Then Din needed her help, and from then she was on a streak of doing good. I'm pretty sure that if not for the helmet we would see her smiling similar way after rescuing Rengar. Here, she not only helped people but also secured an alliance with another planet, simply by doing good, with no corruption or violence needed.

Look how proud she is when Grogu becomes a knight! @ladyzirkonia Already noticed in her post >here< that Bo is happier than ever. And It's absolutely true! We haven't seen her as happy ever before. Not when she was getting a new addition to her fleet back in Season 2, or not even when the Armorer announced she is the one to unite them all.

This leads us adress to the bantha in the room...

Where something important happens.

You see, there were many theories that what Bo's doing with Din is just a long play to challenge him when he least expects it, but this disproved it. And later it gets even more interesting.

You see... Axe is accusing Bo of intentionally refusing to challenge Din. Which would mean her people demanded it from her at some point.

Her refusal could be what lead them to leave, claiming she's weak, not only as a leader but also as a warrior, probably thinking she's afraid of challenging him.

However, Bo's motive may be rooted somewhere else.

Bo-Katan had no problem challenging Axe for her fleet, so why would she struggle so much to challenge Din? It was as necessary as getting the fleet back, so what was stopping her?

But she really didn't have to kill him to claim the blade. We saw it as Din and Paz fought for the Darksaber, and Vizsla is still alive.

(gifs by @itberice) Do you remember what I said about love in the air? Now, look back at the Captain and the Prince from the beginning, and Duchess Lizzo and her ex-imperial husband. Do you notice the similarity?

Bo-Katan stands up in front of so-called Mandalorians, that are ready to outcast someone like Din, just because his blood is not Mandalorian enough. Just like Lizzo stood up against Commissioner in defense of her ex-imperial partner.

Again @ladyzirkonia made a great post >here< saying what I'm gonna mention.

This is a great sign of what kind of leader Bo is going to be. She walks both ways, she took her time to understand Din's perspective, and because of everything that happened, he is the one who showed her The Way. The right one.

He let her understand what it means to be Mandalorian, and it's not the blood, but the heart and faith of a warrior.

Din Djarin, with all his adventures, made Bo-Katan the person she is now. And she is really fond of him, to the point of standing in his defense, even if before she was among the people who laughed at him.

I know everyone has mixed feelings about the Darksaber, and I fully myself don't sit right with it either, BUT it happened, and I'm here to make surgery on the symbolism here.

I know a lot of people think if Din gave the Darksaber like that, make it look pointless...

But I beg to differ.

You see, the Darksaber for Din and Bo actually lost its value. For him, it was a burden, and for Bo-Katan a symbol of everything she lost. But for everyone else? It still was a symbol of power.

I may sound here like I'm trying to defend the outcome, but I rather like to think I'm just taking a different perspective on it.

Hear me out, the point of Din getting the Darksaber maybe never was to show him as a potential leader, but rather put him on his path with someone who will make his life... better.

The Darksaber is something that put Din and Bo-Katan on the same way. A catalyst for everything we saw this season. Nothing of it wouldn't happened if Din didn't have the Darksaber. Just think about it, if in season 2 Bo got the Darksaber from Gideon, she would have her fleet, and wouldn't rot in her sadness on Kalevala, so there would be no one to save Din on his way to redeem himself. Giving this one sample to just show how big of a butterfly effect we are dealing here with.

So as much as I don't like the way the Darksaber was claimed, I truly don't think it makes everything pointless. For me, quite the opposite really. It's the reason why everything we see is happening.

[orangepanic]

Asami is the only member of the Krew without any character development

And I think it makes her an unsatisfying love interest in canon.

Now, obviously, I love Asami. She's my favorite. I want nothing but good things for her and that includes shipping. Which is why the more I thought about this, the more it bugged me. Because the issue isn't that Korra is the only one with character development but rather that Asami is the only one without, and that hers is the only character where romance is substituted for character development instead.

In book one Asami has one of the clearer arcs. She starts off as the girlfriend/rival/financier, is presented with a choice to join her father, and instead sides with Korra and her friends. However, I'd argue that this is a plot arc and not a character arc. Asami herself doesn't change or grow much at all. If anything, the plot arc here only reinforces that Asami's strength of character keeps her the same - on the side of good, no matter the personal cost. She's not even particularly conflicted. Asami immediately turns against her father and doesn't waver. She ends the season as the same person she started as, minus everyone who said they loved her.

In book two we see Asami struggle with Future Industries, but her role in this season is the same as book one. She's again the means of getting the Krew where they need to go and again set up as the rival. She ends the season back at where she was at the end of book one: alone, having lost out on love. Do not pass go, do not collect $200.

In book three Asami becomes what I call Asami ex machina, which is to say her character is more or less completely forgotten in favor of using her to conveniently solve problems. Need an airship? Asami - busy executive - is happy to drop everything and fly you anywhere. Need rescue? Asami can escape and break you out. Need a sand sailer? Asami can build one from all these parts. Need someone to push your wheelchair? For some reason it's Asami instead of either of those buff bending brothers. But if you think about it, Asami doesn't seem to have any agency or intrinsic motivation the entire season.

This trend largely carries over to book 4, where Asami has the fewest lines of any main character (fewer than Varrick!) and, while we are to understand her as the successful head of Future Industries now we don't really see any of that on screen. Her one bright spot is bending Varrick's hand backwards to show she won't take any of his shit. But the rest is largely as a support character. For most of the season Asami is little more than there right up until the very end where she, one more time, is used for romance in relation to Korra.

Now, contrast this with the other leads. Korra, I won't talk too much about, because she's the main character and of course she has the main arc. She goes from brash and over-confident to growing into her own as a fully-fledged Avatar. Yet Mako gets similar development. He starts the show as a struggling pro-bender, living in an attic, doing odd jobs at the power plant for extra cash and a few bad turns of luck away from being out on the street. He's angry and closed. But by the end of the show he's clearly successful. He's found his calling as a detective. He's reading Jinora's books. He's finding patience with Wu and trying out new hairstyles. You can absolutely say that the Mako we get at the end of book 4 has grown as a person. Then look at Bolin. He's made a series of mistakes over the course of the show which largely revolve around putting his faith in the wrong people - the triads, Varrick, Kuvira - as well as getting over his superficial relationship preferences (Korra, Ginger) to wind up with a girl (Opal) who is a good person but he starts out saying isn't his type. At the end of the series he's been properly chastened for the Kuvira thing, confirmed he wants to help people and reconnected with Opal, and is far from the ladies-man pro-bender he starts with. While not as set as Mako he's clearly grown and changed over time.

Tenzin makes peace with Aang and his own spirituality and rebuilds the Air Nation. Bumi makes peace with Aang and becomes an airbender. Lin and Su make up. Hiroshi reforms so that he can die. Hell, even Varrick and Zhi Li sort out their shit to some degree.

And then there's Asami.

If you look closely, Asami isn't even in the final episode except as a bystander. Her last significant action is getting Korra, Mako, and Bolin inside the colossus. One can argue she makes up with her dad, but that's more about Hiroshi's redemption than any change in Asami herself. He admits he was wrong and she accepts it. That's on him.

In sum, if you look across all the seasons of the show, we see Korra, Mako, Bolin, and a number of other supporting characters grow, change, and overcome obstacles that make them better versions of themselves. But with Asami, her character beats are either a) being useful to Korra and/or the plot or b) being a love interest. The Asami at the end of the show isn't all that different from the one at the beginning.

Why I think that makes her an unsatisfying love interest is because, without character growth, you can't have relationship growth. At the risk of being pilloried I think this is behind some of the accusations that her relationship with Korra is woefully underdeveloped - it's because Asami herself is underdeveloped. The conversation at the end of the finale could have been between Korra and any other character or even an OC and it would have been the same. I also think it's why the friendships of the Krew don't seem to resonate as deeply as the ones in ATLA, too. You can see how the Gaang have all influenced one another to grow into young adults together, how they've learned from each other and struggled with something about themselves to get there. But Asami's struggles have been alone and off camera, and her only development has been as a tool or object, not a person. We don't even see Asami learn anything. The mecha is just like a Future Industries forklift.

Anyway, I'm not looking to invalidate any particular ship as obviously I ship Asami pretty hard myself. The issues above without changes are true for Asami in any relationship, including her other canon one with Mako. I'm more angry at canon on her behalf for the wasted potential of such a wonderful character, and in awe and appreciation of all the fanfic that's stepped in to flesh out her character and make her all that she could have been.

Bottom line: let's write more Asami fanfic because she deserves it!

[deus-sema]

I came across this stunning fanart by @lordbhreanna right after reading this meta by the brilliant @neyafromfrance95 and all of it reminded me of what it exactly was about a potential dynamic between Galadriel and Sauron that caught my interest for the first time all those years ago. In its simplest form, it is the idea of two contrasting yet equally compelling personalities, of two larger than life figures, clashing with each other with some kind of attraction thrown into the midst that continues to fascinate me.

There have been multiple theories about what could transpire in the hypothetical event of Galadriel falling to the dark side with one of them being that he would turn her into yet another Adar and keep her subservient to him. While there is enough reason to believe that Sauron wouldn't readily share all his power with Galadriel, simultaneously, there are equally high chances, if not more, of Galadriel not bowing down before his might. She is one of the last people to allow anyone to lord over her. Be it Gil-galad or Miriel. She doesn't comply with authority but seeks to defy, covet and wield it. She has a natural inclination towards leadership; much like Fëanor and others of her kin, her Noldorean pride and indomitable will won't allow her to be reduced to anyone's subordinate, no matter who that individual may be.

If she were to become Sauron's lieutenant then, I daresay, she'll plan a coup d'état sooner than Adar did to seize absolute power from him. He'll be enraged and turned on at the same time. His greed for her even as her searing light with intensity to rival the Two Trees blinds him while she revels in her might and the knowledge that he is already in her possession as they both battle their desire for each other. It shall be a game between these two titans, spanning across ages, with its repercussions being felt all across Middle Earth. Okay I digress but someone should write this fic.

Sauron, in both book and RoP canon, genuinely cared for Middle Earth at first and harboured a desire to beautify and perfect it. Though I am unable to find it now, @saurongorthaur9 had, in a well written meta, drawn a parallel between Sauron's love turned hatred for ME upon being figuratively spurned by it to his RoP incarnation's desire for Galadriel which would eventually morph into a vendetta after getting thwarted repeatedly.

So, it stands to reason, that within the narrative of the show, just like how Sauron's relationship with Galadriel symbolizes his complicated relationship with Middle Earth on a whole, Galadriel's attraction to Sauron is an extension of her desire for power. If Sauron sought to add to the land's beauty, Galadriel had come there with the intention to be a ruler in her own right. Ambition is one aspect of her personality that the show is yet to explore properly as of now.

It is very much likely that the upcoming couple of seasons are going to delve deeper into the political elements within the different realms. One thing I would like to see is Galadriel being more actively involved with the affairs of the Elves rather than retreating into a supporting role. While it was her guilt that tied her down in S2, the finale left her in a position of vindication with her concerns being proven right. As the Elves regroup and unite against Sauron, it is necessary for Galadriel to assume a position of leadership at par with Gil-galad's. Her aspirations to rule her own lands and people - which had taken a backseat due to her commitment towards avenging Finrod - can also be brought to the surface. Parallely, we shall have Sauron establishing his dominion in Mordor and building his empire in the rest of ME. Both of them could end up stimulating each other - while pushing each other to their limits as the tension between them heats up during their probable mind palace sessions.

All in all, there is a mithrilmine of potential storytelling right there waiting to be dug up.

[cryptid-intraining]

Thoughts about the Mexican GP and the season so far.

Very happy at yet another Ferrari win, would have loved the 1-2 but I'll get into that. Any points taken off Lando is great in my books and it's starting to look like McLaren is now at risk of losing the WCC as well if Ferrari keeps this up.

As a Max fan, he absolutely deserved those penalties but I think anyone complaining about how unfair it is, is being silly. He did the move, got the penalties. That's fair. Fucking around and finding out is a gamble all drivers make at some point, sometimes getting those penalties is a price they're willing to pay.

My biggest issue with the narrative and criticism Max has been getting about those two incidents is that it was sloppy driving. I think Martin Brundle called his second move a "red mist" moment and I think in light of what Max has said about the incidents, that is just untrue. I think it's fairly clear to see it was a calculated decision that Max made as soon as he realized that the RB20 did not have the power to hold the McLaren behind. In his own words, without the penalties he may have ended up ahead of the Mercs but Lando probably would have won the race.

He dropped a possible 13 point loss to 10. That's a championship move, that's how you win the WDC. Race wins and podiums don't matter to Max at this point clearly (yes he would prefer to be winning, obviously) his goal going into every weekend is just about finishing higher than Lando or as close to him as possible. That car does not have the tools for him to go offensive and outscore Lando every race so of course he will do anything in his power to ruin Lando's races and slow him down and get in his way. It's strategy.

And dragging that car back from 20s of penalties to P6 was a feat in and of itself, especially if you look at the races that Perez and Piastri had. Especially Piastri, considering he had the whole race and superior machinery and ended up in P8, behind Max and KMag. Really not a good weekend from him overall.

Onto the Ferrari's. I honestly don't know what to say, Carlos was incredibly strong all weekend, well deserved win. But once again it feels like Ferrari sometimes really struggles in managing to bring home a 1-2. They're often too afraid of their drivers fighting out front which is fair but asking your other driver to lift and coast every five minutes or so was a ridiculous call that cost them the 1-2. You cannot LICO on hard tyres for the majority of a race and keep temperature in them, which makes you lose grip and nearly crash as we saw. Charles was very lucky and very quick to catch that snap before it put him in the wall.

Not taking away from Carlos' performance because he was just the quicker driver that weekend but once again when he comes under pressure from Charles he tries to get Ferrari to pull team orders. It's something he has done time and time again and it gets a bit frustrating to see. If team orders had not been established prior to the race, he had no grounds to come on the radio and comment on Charles closing the gap in the first stint. If I heard that radio message without context I would have thought Charles had dive bombed him or something, it was ridiculous.

Now, I know Carlos was asked to lift and coast too but I think in context to Carlos' radio message and the weird atmosphere between them after the race (could be reading into) I don't think Charles was particularly happy with the strategy.

And finally McLaren. I think we are so wrapped up in the hype of having such a competitive season that we're not seeing what this year is going to end up being for McLaren and that is: disastrous. They've been so shockingly indecisive this whole season and I think if Ferrari keeps this performance in the last leg of the season it is going to cost them the WCC as well because they've just been acting like they've got it in the bag and I think that's the key difference in attitude between McLaren and Red Bull, to some degree Ferrari too. Max himself has said it, even if he's 50+ points ahead he's not going to let Lando pass him easily because that's not how you win. Dropping your guard and thinking you're safe is how you lose, coasting to a win is how you lose, if that was how Max Verstappen raced he wouldn't be a three time world champion and he certainly wouldn't still be 47 points ahead.

But it feels almost like McLaren are just assuming that the WCC is safe because they have good drivers and the fastest car but I think there is a possibility they're going to walk away with nothing and it's going to be very embarrassing for them because everyone expected immediate performance from their drivers once given a championship car, that's what everyone has been saying about both Lando and Oscar for the past few years, that they're championship material and they just need the car.

I don't disagree, I think they both will get a WDC eventually but it's put them both on these pedestals of performance that they've just been unable to live up to yet. Lando has not been consistent, he has shown he has a long way to go in terms of wheel to wheel battling and needs to improve his ability to make calls and strategy decisions on the track and Oscar has to be more competitive in qualifying if he wants to pose a threat to Lando.

And the team needs to pull it together if they want to win. Stop asking your drivers so much, don't let them call all the shots on strategy because it doesn't work. Sometimes when I hear their radio messages I actually start to lose my mind because why are they having full conversations? It's too much information for too little. Drivers should never be that involved in the strategy, it's distracting for them and shows everyone else how little faith the strategists seem to have in themselves. It feels like they're improvising as they go.

All in all, I think this season is going to do more for Max's reputation than any other championship season he's had. 2023 was dominant and incredible but people will always just say he had no competition and therefore it means nothing which is an insane thing to say about the most successful singular season in the history of the sport, 2022 for some reason people just write off. Once again, they'll just say he had the best car so of course he'll win, and 2021 is obviously fraught with controversies that overshadow what was objectively a brilliant season for Max. But 2024? It's showing that he does not need the fastest car to win. Not even the second, but the third fastest car (at points the fourth) and he's still 47 points ahead.

It's brilliant. Hasn't won a race in months and he's still winning. In a car that at points didn't even turn, with an engine that seems to want to fail every other weekend, with a practically non-existent teammate, and a team that feels like it's falling apart around him.

But it's just the car. Okay, so where's Lando? Oh, right, 47 points behind.

See you in Abu Dhabi.

[pandagalo]

[PJO SERIES EPISODE 1x08 COMMENT]

What an amazing episode!!

Starting from the RECAP: Poseidon speech as we relive Percy's quest is amazing, not just a montage of what has happened, but actually video editing to tie all together!

Annabeth confused about Kronos, great continuity.

THEY ARE IN MONTAUK. Poseidon is right by his side in the exact place where he met Sally! I know it was for time and budget, but it's a change that I personally L O V E.

WAIT, YOU PUT PERCY'S TRAINING WITH LUKE THERE? AND YOU MIRROR THEM AS IF YOU PUT THE TWO SHOTS TOGETHER THEY ARE POINTING SWORDS AT EACH OTHER. WHAT?!

Fight with Ares check: Percy easily overpowered, he finally has confidence in his powers and distract Ares as he hurts him. Of course Ares thinks Percy is going for the head. Ares thinks everyone in battle wants to kill the other, Percy used his brain and went for the ankle.

GOLDEN ICORE.

ANNABETH'S NECKLACE.

Now to Zeus. That sequence is absolute PERFECTION. We saw kids acting most of the time, now we got two adults that just DELIVER with their perfomance. Zeus is scary, has authority, HE IS A GOD. Poseidon portrayal is such a loving father, such powerful emotions and acting. They killed the scene, I couldn't stop smiling from how good it was.

"DO YOU EVER DREAM ABOUT MOM?"

Now to the Luke scene. Percy figured it out, but this time it was too late. He was already alone with Luke in the forest and was recalling the prophecy. The scene is masterfully portrayed, Luke tries to recruit Percy, only for him to have developed trust in his father, which push him to try and change Luke's plans. But when he mention Hermes, the fight starts.

PERCY APOLOGIZES WHEN HE HURTS HIM. He wasn't being serious, he probably thought it was like sword practice, but this time he didn't have a wooden sword. It's only when Luke hurts him that he understands how grave is the situation.

AND ANNABETH SHOWS UP. Because she had the same thoughts as Percy. She emphasized that they needed CONCRETE PROOF. Something wasn't quite right. She actually followed them with the cap. And when Luke harmed Percy, she understood that they weren't getting their friend back. And Luke couldn't bear her seeing him like that, and he escaped.

MR. D WHAT A SWEETIE PIE YOU ARE.

Gabe wasn't portrayed as abusive and bad as the book, if it was Sally to petrify him it wouldn't have sound right. BUT TO POSEIDON TO DO IT? To send back the Medusa's head, knowing Gabe would have opened their mail? To Poseidon to actually save Sally? (Friendly prophecy reminder: "You will not save what matters the most" in the book is about Percy letting Sally use the Medusa's head on Gabe, it isn't Percy who saves his mother, but herself)

GROVER GOT HIS LICENSE. Well, it's not actually that they never checked the sea, it's just no one ever returned. But probably no one knows it.

In the end, loved the episode and the show. Episodes 7 & 8 REALLY sold it to me. In my opinion, it went from a 7 to an 8/8.5 just because of the last two episodes. I'm really excited about Sea of Monsters, I don't think they will have any problem with the green light for Season 2, as the show is a success and it deserves it.

[humbledragon669]

S1E6 – The Very Last Day of the Rest of Their Lives P4 - from the departure of Shadwell and Madame Tracy

There are just under 10 minutes of this episode left at this point, so I’m hoping I can get this season pretty much wrapped up in this write up (not counting the write up of the opening credits, or the couple of bits I’m intending on doing around the book. Oh, or the work I’m intending on doing around the deleted scenes in the Script Book. Or on identifying differences between the Script Book and the end result. So y’know, so close to getting season 1 all wrapped up…). If I forget by the time I get to the end of it, I’ll just say thank you for sticking with me – I hadn’t really intended for any of these write-ups to be as comprehensive (waffling) as they are, but here I am, 64K words later, not even finished the first season. So, yeah, thanks and other such affectionate gratitudes.

There’s something to be said about Gabriel’s idea of what exactly the “greater good” is. He still seems to think that the “greater good” is little more than winning the argument against the legions of Hell, which seems quite ridiculous: imagine holding the outcome of an argument in higher regard than the consequences that the event of said argument would have. But then I suppose that’s largely what war is – two parties adamant that they’re right, trying to force the other to concede. We as the audience are likely to see the preposterousness of Gabriel’s stance in this particular instance because the consequences include the obliteration of the entire human race and the planet that they reside on. Still, the principal is the same, and ultimately I feel like world peace is entirely possible, in both the show and in real life, if people simply respected the right to an alternative point of view.

We also see the recurrence of a running theme in this scene – the idea that “what” you are defines your nature by default.

Don’t talk to me about the greater good, sunshine. I’m the Archangel Fucking Gabriel.

This statement is something akin to stating that all hedgehogs must, by default, be irritable (or… prickly… *tumbleweed* I’ll get my coat), and in fact we have come to understand that this ingrained attitude as to what constitutes a “good” or “bad” could actually, in and of itself, be construed as a “bad” quality to have, and that being capable of seeing nuance is an inherently “good” quality to have. The irony of that statement is almost philosophical, isn’t it? Still, we get to hear John Hamm use the F word, possibly proving that Aziraphale’s reluctance to use it isn’t necessarily because he’s an angel (which just hammers all of that point home even further).

Let’s take a quick look at a couple of things we see from Crowley (as Aziraphale) prior to his entering the Hellfire. Firstly, his use of the phrase “for Heaven’s sake”.

It’s a little different from the last time we saw Crowley using the same phrase.

I don’t know whether this much easier delivery of the same phrase is because he’s in Aziraphale’s body (issued to him by Heaven) or if he’s having to exercise a monumental amount of restraint as he says it. It doesn’t look like the latter, but he’s been doing a pretty good job of keeping his own mannerisms under control up to now, so why would this be any different? After all, the Hellfire reacts to the being that inhabits a body rather than to the original source for that body, so you’d think this principle would apply for other matters to.

The second thing I want to take a look at is this glance Crowley (as Aziraphale) takes at his captors before he steps into the Hellfire:

It’s so beautifully knowing. He knows full-well what’s about to happen as he steps in the column of flames: absolutely nothing. He’s checking in to make sure his cover is still intact before he takes his leap of faith.

There’s an interesting difference between the reactions from Heaven and Hell in the aftermath of the punishment being applied. Both parties are, understandably, terrified. Hell’s assessment of the situation is that Crowley has “gone native”, even going so far as to say he isn’t one of them anymore (I don’t really think he was ever truly “one of them” though, was he?). This is an accusation we have heard before, not always so explicitly stated, levelled at both Aziraphale and Crowley by their respective employers. In this instance, we are to take it that they think he has become human, or at least more human than demon. I don’t think the Heavenly hosts would be able to come to the same conclusion – presumably a human would be consumed by Hellfire just like an angel would. It’s my belief that their assumption, based on their accusation that he is a traitor to Heaven and therefore siding with Hell, is that he has somehow converted to a demon, or that he is on the way to becoming one. I find this difference interesting, as it suggests that, whilst Heaven still firmly believe the antithesis of their agenda lies in Hell, Hell in turn believes that the worst thing a being could possibly be is human. Stripping all of the philosophy and theology out of the situation, what’s important is that neither Heaven nor Hell are aware that a body swap scenario was a possibility, and both believe there has been a fundamental change in their accused.

I also find the individual responses of Crowley and Aziraphale (in their respective other half’s body) to the outcome of the punishments to be rather charming.

There’s something really special about knowing that, despite the work they’ve both done to make sure they’re acting as the other one would, they cannot help their true personalities from coming through when they’re enjoying themselves: Aziraphale (as Crowley) playing the situation with his intelligence and resulting wit, and Crowley (as Aziraphale) choosing instead to strike fear into his captors with harmless mischief (rather like we saw him do to the paintballer at Tadfield Manner).

Let’s talk Michael’s reaction to seeing (Aziraphale as) Crowley in the bath. Subtitle capitalisation is taken from the Script Book, rather than being my own emphasis.

I know I’ve seen this discussed in other posts, so I won’t dwell on it too much, I just wanted to acknowledge that firstly there is a definite question mark over the use of phrase here. Is it just an exclamation or is there something more subtextual going on? I vote the latter because… well because I’ve watched the show really. And I don’t think the scripted words are ever used without thought to their meaning, overt or otherwise. Secondly, this isn’t the first time we’ve seen a verbal reaction to Crowley’s presence containing the “L” word. Remember Paris, 1792?

Did I just use this tiny scripting point to so I could revisit that incredibly hot look Aziraphale gives Crowley in the Bastille? 100% I did. Sue me. However, there is an important difference here that the angel also uses the word “good” in his exclamation. I don’t think Aziraphale has ever truly considered Crowley to be anything other than at least a little bit good, so that does make a lot of sense.

Theirs is something of an odd paradox in Anathema burning the second volume of Agnes’s prophecies, isn’t there? Because Agnes, being the incredibly gifted psychic that she clearly was, should have foreseen that the copy given to Anathema after Armageddon is averted would be burned. So why send the box at all? More importantly, is there perhaps another copy that she wrote and kept somewhere else? There is a nice symmetry in Newt helping Anathema to burn the pages though, seeing as his ancestors have a history of burning her actual family members. I’m sure it’s meant to be symbolic that he’s present for the literal burning away of the things that tie Anathema to the past, and I can’t help but feel like his own unpleasant ancestral ties are being erased at the same time.

There is so much tying up of subtextual ends in Adam’s final scene, it’s rather difficult to know where to being. Let’s first address the non-so-subtextual confirmation that, at this point in time at least, he has retained some of his powers.  

We have a few more hints at the idea that people are forgetting what happened the day before, firstly when Wensleydale asks Adam what happened, and again with this line from Adam:

Tomorrow will be alright. They’ll have forgotten by then. They always do.

Then there is, of course, the reference not only to a garden, but of having to leave it, and that his leaving would be the result of a choice he makes to right a wrong. The informed choice that Adam makes here forms the ending of the book, and serves to prove God’s prophecy from the beginning of episode one:

It starts, as it will end, with a garden.

Adam’s choice to leave the garden is, without doubt, a comparison to the departure of Adam and Eve from the original Garden of Eden. The difference here is that they were forced to leave because they chose knowledge and free will, whereas Adam leaves through choice because he already has free will. The parallels between the two situations don’t stop there either – Adam (Young) is next to be seen taking an apple from a tree, which he is forbidden to do (because it’s not his to take. Technically stealing I suppose, but hey, he’s the ex-Antichrist, he’s done worse) after he leaves his own “garden”. He takes it willingly, and of his own accord, rather than having been tempted as Eve was.

We also hear God telling us that Adam has an awareness that “something” was ending. I think it’s likely the “something” being referred to here is the innocence of childhood, particularly as he has now been made all too aware of the potential cruelties of human nature. And lastly, we have a pretty strong statement being made, not only about the idea that knowledge should never be considered as being owned and should always be shared, but also that the cost of the acquisition of knowledge is always worth the sacrifice it took to get it.

He couldn’t see why people made such a fuss about people eating their apples, but life would be a lot less fun if they didn’t. And there never was an apple, in Adam’s opinion, that wasn’t worth the trouble you got into for eating it.

Quite beautiful really. That previous scene being the last we see of any of the characters other than Crowley and Aziraphale, we join the main couple in a park. By now it should be blatantly obvious that something is very different about both of them – their voices, speech, and (most obviously) postures are complete opposites of what we’re used to seeing from them. Crowley sitting bolt upright with his hands clasped in his lap whilst Aziraphale’s slouch is so severe it looks like he poured himself into the bench. What I love about this is that we’re being shown the extent to which both of them have had to fight to hide what comes most naturally to them. What’s even nicer to see is that they drop all hint of pretence now that they’re back in each other’s company again. And just so we can see how perfectly David and Michael are at copying each other, just observe how little movement there is between the before and after body swap reversal in their postures.

They each managed to set themselves up to sit like the other pretty much exactly. Very impressive. And of course, the red collar is back, which Crowley (as Crowley now – thank goodness I don’t have to keep writing those confusing sentences out anymore) actually draws attention to. It does make me wonder if the only purpose of the tartan collar was to have something tangible that could be pointed out after the fact. The change in tone of voice, speech, gait, and behaviours could be argued as objective, but a piece of material that’s a completely different colour? That can’t be argued as being fundamentally different from the norm. And it’s subtle, which I don’t think could have been achieved with something about Aziraphale’s outfit (for instance, changing his bow tie from tartan to red).

I think it’s so telling that it takes the pair of them next to no time at all to settle into their old comfortable ways. Aziraphale for instance, can hardly keep his eyes off Crowley once they’re restored to their normal bodily states. In fact, he’s back to flirting at the first opportunity. Check out this gorgeous little side eye and gooey gaze:

And he’s so desperate to tell Crowley what he did that was so clever. Almost like he would pop if he didn’t tell someone about it… We will of course later come to find out that this little personality trait is apparently one of the only reasons that Aziraphale calls Crowley, so it’s actually quite nice to see that this behaviour isn’t something he limits to interactions that aren’t in person. What his anecdote from Hell does tell us is that they do not have any access to the memories that were made in their own body during the body swap – they apparently go with the essence of the being that inhabited the body at the time the memories were formed.

I do not believe for a second that Crowley’s mention of “leaving the garden” is simply there to wrap up the story line. Both he and Aziraphale will be well aware of the connotations that go along with that statement, having been present when the original residents of the original Garden were forced into the wilderness. And whilst there’s a feeling that the angel and the demon are also wandering into the wilderness, they are doing so under their own free will, which they have actually been exercising for millennia. The difference now is twofold: firstly, they have no intention of returning to the false promise of safety that the garden (aka affiliation with a Heavenly or Hellish authority) proffers them. Secondly, their free will, and their choice to exercise it, is no longer forbidden, and whilst both Heaven and Hell may not approve of their friendship, relationship, or any other consequence of their free will, they no longer have any authority over them. They have in a very real sense of the word, been set free. Leaving the “garden” is really just a metaphorical way of them stretching their wings (no pun intended) before taking full flight into their newly gained freedom.

Ah, wasn’t that all really beautiful? Well, don’t get used to it, Crowley’s about to lower the tone.

Did ya see it? Let me see if I can make it a bit more obvious:

Maybe it’s me and my dirty mind, but that invitation to lunch looks like it comes with a much more personal invitation from Crowley… I mean, even if we disregard that fairly blatant “presentation” of what’s on the menu for Aziraphale, let’s remember that it’s my belief Crowley enjoys watching the angel eat. And yes, I do believe that watching Aziraphale eat is a sexual (or perhaps sensual) experience for him. So him asking the angel to go to lunch with him is far from an innocent invitation in my opinion. That last point is perhaps underlined by Crowley’s use of the word “tempt”, which he would have historically done to lessen or destroy the innocence of others. And Aziraphale has absolutely no hesitation in taking him up on the offer. So absent is his hesitance in fact that it seems to me that his acceptance of Crowley’s temptations is something he is very used to doing. *wink wink, nudge nudge*

It's my view that we would be foolish to think that this lunch at the Ritz is anything other than a date. We know that this is one of the things Aziraphale suggested that they do in that awful car conversation in 1967. We know that they have been there before on at least one occasion. Aziraphale’s choice of venue tells us everything that we need to know about things between the two of them being set to rights. I’m sure Aziraphale knows that his offer comes with un underlying offer of peace between them, and when you see Crowley’s reaction to the offer, I’m pretty sure that he knows it too. He looks impressed, a little surprised, but most of all, happy.

I don’t think I need to go over the song used in the soundtrack here. I know I have written a lot of words about this season, but I think that my running word count would look pretty pathetic if we were to count up all the words written about the choice of “A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square” being played at this particular point in the storyline. So let me simply highlight the particular part of the lyrics that make it the absolutely perfect choice as the closing song for this season:

There was magic abroad in the air There were angels dining at the Ritz And a nightingale sang in Berkeley Square

Right, that’s that addressed. Despite the fact that there are less than 2 minutes left in this episode, there’s still so much to talk about.

Aziraphale’s furtive glance at Crowley before the champagne is poured; the loving gaze he gives him to assure him that his assessment of him being a “good” is meant in love and not in animosity; Crowley’s acceptance of the compliment with his own look of resignation; Crowley’s loving gaze as he awaits the angel’s response to being told he’s a “bastard”; Aziraphale’s acceptance of the return compliment suggesting that it might just be the best thing anyone has ever said to him: all of these things are enough to melt my heart, but they are NOTHING compared to this:

Or perhaps, more precisely, this:

I said Aziraphale couldn’t take his eyes off Crowley, didn’t I? That lingering gaze he rests on his demon’s face after the toast is complete genuinely makes my stomach flip. It’s beyond gorgeous. And it would be horribly remiss of me not to talk about the toast itself. Aziraphale proposes they toast to the World. On a surface layer, this would appear to be in reference to the fact that they have just saved it. But. But. They look each other in the eyes when they’re actually making the toast. Because they are each other’s world. It might have sounded like the toast is in recognition of their part in saving the world, but really, it’s to them. I appreciate that this is probably going over old ground, but I need to get it written down so that the words can stop going around my head.

I do want to do a tiny bit of backtracking to look at the way that they compliment each other on being “good” and “bad”. It does not escape my attention that Aziraphale refers to Crowley as “a good person”. Not simply “good” or a “good demon”. A good person. I think this follows up on the conversation that they had with Adam in the time bubble, that they now think of themselves as closer to humans than to their respective ethereal beings. Not only that, but there are no more arguments between them about being a little bit good, or a little bit bad. I think this probably applies more to Aziraphale than to Crowley, but they’ve come to the full realisation that you don’t have to be all “good” or all “bad”. And with that realisation, comes the knowledge that each of them having their own “good” and “bad” qualities actually make them a better partnership, because they compliment each other so beautifully. They “cancel each other out”, as Crowley so eloquently said. He was only about 1000 years ahead of Aziraphale on that one. But most importantly, it’s the supposed “flaws” in their characters, the bits they’re not supposed to have, that actually interest and attracts them to each other.

As we leave our beloved pair, we see one last act of affection from each of them.

It’s so subtle. Not only does Aziraphale reach for Crowley across the table, he switches the champagne glass to his other hand in order to do it. He places the glass next to his right hand so that the hand closest to Crowley will always be free, presumably in an effort either to flirt with its presence near to something of Crowley’s (mind out of the gutter please, this is the Ritz) or to actually make contact. And Crowley’s returns the gesture with silent attentiveness. It’s so charming to see him just watch Aziraphale babble away, fixing his gaze on the angel’s face. At least that way it won’t be weird when he deliberately stares at him whilst he’s eating…

I have one last thing to say about this episode, and it’s actually about a character that we have been acquainted with from the very beginning of the show, yet observe so little about. It’s God. Sounds like a pretty bold statement about religion in general I know; it’s not meant to be. I’m not about to go off into some sort of religious diatribe about how the voice of God has been guiding the audience through the story blah blah blah (did I mention I’m Pagan?), I merely wanted to point out that God has been narrating this last part of the story of the demon and the angel that are in love. Does she sound disappointed or unapproving at all? She really does not. In fact, it sounds like she’s pleased. And when she talks about the nightingale in the Square, she sounds a little smug, proud almost. It makes me wonder if this was her way of blessing the partnership. And if she’s blessing it, doesn’t that mean it was all part of the Ineffable Plan in the first place? I guess that might come to light in season 3, but for now we’ll just have to wait and see…

You know the drill by now. Questions, comments, discussion: always welcome!

[blacclotusss]

And That's the End of It. There's Nothing Else

The End of an Era

And that's the end of it...literally. It's bittersweet to see this show, or should I say book, come to the end of its rope. Firstly, this show has become one of my favorites in the past year and a half and I wish I could shout from the rooftops about how much it has changed the way I view a number of things in life. Also, despite the annoyance of this fandom space, I have met so many beautiful spirits who are just as insane about the show as I am and I'd like to say that I have made some lasting connections. Now, onto discussing everything about this finale. 

Louis

I just want to go on record and say that my love for Louis has never gone away. Everything about him from the way he dresses to the way he loves those around him has embedded him in my mind as an all-time favorite character, and of course its thanks to Jacob for breathing a new life into the character. With all that being said, it should come as no surprise that Louis was my favorite part of the finale. The many ways in which Louis shows his rage (and any emotion, really) are astounding, and it's interesting to see the similarities and differences of it in New Orleans and in Paris. In Paris, it's more severe because of the location and the reasoning. Paris was slightly more inviting and welcoming than New Orleans so we hadn't seen him as on edge and pissed off with those he's had to interact with as much. Again I sawy slightly because we can still see the racism in certain comments and those plays. But, his anger and rage is fully ablaze when it comes to Claudia and the way she's being handled. He was able to set ablaze an entire beloved theatre (and its vampires) without the guilt he felt to that at the end of episode three in season one.  

I do, however, think it's also a combination of the fact that Louis is always a step behind and a bit too late and this is how his emotions are come out similarly in both seasons (in regards to Claudia). He'll wait it out until it reaches the tipping point to then do something and that did make me frustrated with him in this episode. Like yeah, let's burn it to the ground, but baby you should have been on this when Claudia came to you about Armand and that coven earlier in the season.  

With all of that being said, I am proud of Louis for finally getting away from everyone else and focusing on himself. I absolutely loved him going back home and seeing how much the city changed since he was there. That little interaction with the Uber driver was the cutest thing ever and something that I had missed in the previous eight episodes. What I mean is that this was such a Black moment from the comfortability between the two and the subject matter of the conversation. Someone tweeted that they missed how unapologetically Black season one was and I hadn't realized what was missing until I read it, so it was nice to have this little moment here. And, in my opinion, Louis looked his best here at home where he now has a better understanding of himself and has lived. Now, I do think another setting other than Dubai could have been good for him, but I love that he's being watched over by his family (Claudia and Paul) and can have a bit of peace now; and that's all I could ever ask for with Louis. 

Louis & Lestat

Two words: Fan service. You can curse me out all you'd like, but you cannot convince me that this little "reunion", even the moments Lestat were present in Louis' mind were purely for the book fans. We all knew Louis was not going to be able to let Lestat go quick, but it's weird and questionable to have Louis in a new space claiming that he's finding himself and getting into this new relationship with that man still floating around. What is his reason for being there other than to appease to the masses? Back to the reunion, nothing about it moved me. This man claims that he cannot get Claudia out of his head and I hope she continues to haunt him for the rest of his days. I don't believe that "daughter" crap for one second because he still listened to that bat signal and skipped on over to Paris to watch her die. When he had the opportunity to save somebody, he let her die. I don't buy it and I wish they didn't have Louis buy it either because yeah, he saved you, but he still let y'all daughter die when he has that ancient blood in him. I'm sure deep down Louis wanted her to live a happy life and yet he's hugging one of the people responsible for it. He still chose you over her, Louis. Come on! I'm just glad Louis ended up by himself and not back with that man. Oh! And the little redemption arc they're trying to give him with saving Louis and the season one revisits...it's not working! 

Louis & Armand

...I'm confused. This relationship has had me on the edge of my seat the entire season, all for it to come crumbling down like that. I just want to know what the purpose on this relationship was? Their sweet moments, both in Dubai and Paris, where adorable. It was like watching high school sweethearts grow older together. But, when you get behind the curtain you begin to question what it really was beyond sex. The sweet moments we see in the beginning of the season has Louis with his mind clouded with Lestat, so was he really into Armand for who he was? Or was he just a placeholder (I hate the idea of this)? And then once Louis washes him away, those moments are limited and it goes downhill from there. In Paris, it just seems like their relationship was out of convenience. And then in this episode it's revealed that the whole "we've been together 77 years" thing was basically a revenge plot...*head scratch*. So I ask again...what was this relationship for? To move the plot along? And it's clear from interviews that no one talked about this as a collective as everyone's answers are different. Even if there are differing opinions, there's usually one cohesive answer. But, I guess I'll just have to take what the creatives have given. 

Armand

Girl...what are we going to do with you? I haven't read the books so I will just have to judge the character as he is on the show, but I have talked to some people who have read and some of the things they've noticed are the same that I have noticed. But, it seems like Armand has little to no characterization throughout this entire season once you really look at it. Yes, he and Louis were able to explore things in their relationship (especially in a sexual nature) but that's really it. He's still the same menacing coward that we meet in episode two in Paris. Did I think that Armand was going to turn his back on that coven? No. But, I also think that unnecessarily explodes beyond fixing. Him being apprehensive about leaving the coven after centuries is on brand. However, that mixed in with directing the death of his lover and his sister, deleting memories from his lover's mind, omitting information in multiple decades, etc. doesn't seem crazy to anyone but me? It smells like the big R, but I'll just keep my mouth shut on that for right now. Maybe we'll see more of this character in future seasons (don't know if I'll be there), but yeah his characterization was just...eh. It seems like he was just there to wreak havoc and I know he's more than that. It's okay to have a villain, but make them make sense.  

Finale Thoughts

I am quite grateful to be alive in a time where there are three lead actors of color in the fantasy genre as well as playing queer characters. I don't know when I'll see it again, so this show and season will be in my heart forever. And, I'm hoping to see Jacob, Delainey, and Assad in more things as the time goes on because this cannot be the end. I won't give for it! And I want them as the leads with their faces plastered everywhere. The show has breathed a new life into me and now I'm excited to watch good television again. The writing, acting, the directing, etc. has been phenomenal so far and I'm sure it will continue to be. However, certain things besides what I talked about above seem like they were there for plot. I will simply blame it on the fact that there wasn't enough time to flesh things out the way they should be so it falls flat in some areas. Now, it seems like season three will be focused on Lestat and right now I don't have anything really keeping me to continue the show. Maybe as the season approaches there will be something to interest me enough to watch. It was a great time with you all (especially the ones I've become close with)! I'll still be around reblogging posts about the show and writing, but this is my last meta post. See ya'll around!

[silly-litttle-writer]

I have feelings about Aegon and since we’re all waiting for season two I’m gonna rant for a bit.

…

I’d like to talk about Alicent in the Green trailer saying something along the lines of “do you understand how much has been sacrificed to get you on the throne?” to Aegon and how low key manipulative that line is.

She knows Aegon doesn’t care about the throne but he does care about being burdensome to his family and that’s why the line most likely weighs heavily on him, we don’t quite know how he reacts from it but from the little bit in the trailer the line does affect him.

This is Aegon having to literally be dragged to his own coronation! This is Aegon trying to flee to Essos to avoid a war over the throne he doesn’t want or feel he is worthy of and ALICENT HAS THE AUDACITY TO SAY THAT TO HIM?! HE DIDNT WANT THIS! HE ACTIVELY TRIED TO AVOID ALL OF IT BECAUSE HE HATED THE IDEA OF TAKING THE THRONE SO MUCH HE WAS WILLING TO GIVE UP BEING A PRINCE! HE DIDNT ASK FOR ANY OF IT AND YOU’RE GOING TO USE THAT TO EMOTIONALLY HURT HIM?! Like I’m grateful the show is showing that side of her cause that is book accurate Alicent but I hattttteeee how Aegon is treated in the show and by the fandom.

I hatttteee that certain characters are deemed sympathetic and oh no poor them (Viserys) while others are not graced with an ounce of sympathy or most importantly empathy (Aegon). Is Viserys entirely bad? No, I hate him but I do not believe he has no redeeming qualities. He loved Aemma and he unfortunately realized his greed for a son was less important far too late, after he killed his wife for a son, does he love Rhaenyra and (sometimes, it’s rare cause Viserys is a coward by nature) stand up for her? Yes, but he is far less sympathetic than CHILD (say whatever you want about adult Aegon but child Aegon deserves none of what he is given) Aegon in my mind I will take no criticism on that. Viserys actively created the toxic environment he is surrounded by, if he’s suffering it’s of his own making. Aegon was a child for a bit of this nonsense and had absolutely no control over what happened around him.

Aegon is the son VISERYS FORCED TO EXIST. He manipulated (softly which is why people like Viserys more than like Larys Strong for example) but he still MANIPULATED (show Alicent not book Alicent cause book Alicent is the one who seduces him and manipulates him) Alicent into marrying him at 15, forcing her to have his children as she can’t deny her husband AND THE LITERAL KING. He wanted a son so badly he carved his first wife up to try to save the son that was killing her, this failed and so he forced Alicent to give him that son and then ONCE AEGON IS NO LONGER CUTE OR EASY TO LOVE HE TOSSES HIM ASIDE. He becomes completely and utterly absent in Aegon’s life and that’s not even talking about how little he cares about Helaena, Aemond, or Daeron, Daeron who was literally shipped off to another part of the continent. He does not care for Aegon, he doesn’t guide him, does not instruct him and teach him the ways of the world. Instead Aegon is stuck with having to rely on Criston “I bash in people’s skulls cause I can’t control my anger and I can’t get over the girl I fucked ten years ago” Cole and Otto “I view women as literal incubators for sons” Hightower, alongside Alicent “I’m a hypocritical coward who will damn and literally terrorize any woman who tries to find a way to cheat the patriarchal society instead of using my power as Queen to make my children’s lives better than my own” Hightower. These same people teach and raise him. One, they teach him to not regulate or handle his emotions. Two, they frequently and repeatedly beat and verbally insult him for just saying I don’t want to challenge my sister for a throne that isn’t mine. Three, teaches him and enables the toxic and sexist mentality perpetrated by the society that they live in that women are things to use and abuse by men and that consent does not matter to him because he is not only a man but a prince and she has no real right to deny him.

Why do you think Aegon grows to be an abuser? Because he was never taught anything else. His bad behavior was enabled or even encouraged, with only slight punishment from the same woman who literally paid his victim hush money to not tell people that her son forced himself on her. She stands there telling the girl her son forced himself on that “I understand” and “It’s not your fault” and then LITERALLY PAYS HER HUSH MONEY TO SHUT UP ABOUT IT AND GIVES HER WESTEROSI BIRTH CONTROL! THEREFORE ENABLING AND ALLOWING THAT BEHAVIOR AND SHE ACTS LIKE SHE HAD NO PART TO PLAY IN WHY HER SON BECAME AN ABUSER!

He is exactly your son. He is the son you chose to raise. Aegon wasn’t born like this, YOU MADE HIM LIKE THIS AND THEN DESPISE AND CURSE HIM FOR IT. He never had a chance to be anything else, he was doomed from the start and that is why I empathize more with Aegon than Viserys. Do I feel bad that Aegon was slapped and called out for forcing himself on a girl? No, he should have been properly punished. He should have been punished for that kind of behavior a LONG time ago. But that’s exactly the problem, Alicent doesn’t punish him for this behavior and then gets upset when he continues doing it. You created the “monster” in front of you and then are shocked when he does monstrous things. You made your own bed and now you refuse to lie in it and instead choose to frequently and repeatedly abuse, terrorize, and antagonize those who refuse to participate (Rhaenyra) in the system that turned you into a victim and your son into an abuser.

[rwrbficrecs]

August Faves

Monthly Faves are back! Sorry I missed July, it became too much work for me alone 😅 So we've decided to gather recs from the volunteers as well ❤️ Here's what we all read & loved in August, hope you enjoy 🥰

we've been here forever (here's the frozen proof) by @onward--upward (book-verse)

@read-and-write-: This is an AU, where Henry is an author and Alex, after reading Henry's books, starts exchanging emails with him by asking him about his own sexual identity crisis. This fic is cute, it's emotional, it's funny. It has everything you need and more.

@inexplicablymine: Have you ever feen so emotionally fulfilled by a story you want to spoon feed it to all your friends? That is this fic right here, filled to the brim with comfort and care it’s a masterclass in strangers to lovers.

@thesleepyskipper: A fic I couldn’t put down no matter how hard I tried

@indomitable-love: I want to climb inside this fic and live in it.

Going Platinum by @cricketnationrise (book-verse)

@gwiazdziarka: Henry falls in love with a stranger on the Internet and it's camboy!Alex. This slightly ridiculous concept makes interesting things happen and it's hot. NSFW.

Who'd have known by HiguT (book-verse)

@gwiazdziarka: Alex and Henry are friends since Rio and Alex turns to Henry when he has sexuality crisis. Henry helps. It's short, sweet, a little awkward and I absolutely love it when Firstprince become friends in Rio.

The Edge of Glory by @historicallysam (book-verse)

@myheartalivewrites: This is a really sweet post canon fic, posing the question: what happens when Alex gets tapped to run for office, after he and Henry and their family have been settled in Austin for many years. It really had me by the heartstrings, I love seeing the boys grown up, talking to each other and sorting their stuff out, and this did not disappoint!

muscle memory by @stutteringpeach (book-verse)

@myheartalivewrites: Is one of those fics where the tension is unbearable between them and you just want to shake them and make them talk, but then the sexy stuff is also excellent

Body Count Baby! by @orestespdf (book-verse)

@myheartalivewrites: this is a fun look into the boys sexual history, and honestly I’m desperate to know more about Henry’s slut phase, I would read about it endlessly

Things I Cannot Accept by @sprigsofviolets (book-verse)

@suseagull04: An interesting AU where Ellen never became President during the 2016 election and how that affects our favorite prince and would-be FSOTUS and how they get together. If you love slow burn, you'll love this fic!

@read-and-write-: It's a new take on canon, one that doesn't shy away from talking about politics, about Ellen's relationship with her children and Catherine's relationship with hers. It's emotional and it's beautiful, every word is worth it

@inexplicablymine: What if it all happened a little later, a little more realistic, and filled with just as much heart. For those who love Angst+Fluff you will get both in droves. There is a chapter in here that made me cry like a baby it was such a good representation of the tenderness of opening yourself up to another.

Every nation ought to have a right to provide for its own happiness. by @beautifulhigh (book-verse)

@daisymae-12: I love how sweet Alex and Henry’s relationship is in this fic, and the exploration of Henry deciding to exit the line of succession is handled beautifully too!

show me all your seasons by @villiageidiot (book-verse)

@daisymae-12: I don’t know how I managed to miss this fic the past two years – it’s such a lovely gem that deserves all the love. Really loved the way we journey through the seasons with Alex and see him figure out how he feels about Henry.

With so much of my heart (that none is left to protest) by @kiwiana-writes (book-verse)

@rmd-writes: From the minute I started reading this Shakespearean actor au I’ve been obsessed with it. It’s not just the inclusion of so many epistolary which makes for a fic that looks pretty. It’s an incredible fic all round - impeccable characterisation, clever use of canon elements, a well-written, perfectly paced plot underscored by so much love and joy (even amongst the angst) that just leaps off the page. It had me laughing and squealing and crying and I can’t wait to read it again!!!

@inexplicablymine: One of my favorite retellings with chapters that made me cry tears of joy. This is the kind of work you pin your hopes and dreams to because it fills you with something you didn’t know you were missing. I can not get enough of it and it leaped to the top of my all time favorites very early on.

[jounosparticles]

maybe i’m biased but honestly the kenji vs tetchou fight may be my favourite in all of bsd (which is a hard choice since there are so many good ones)

first off, the animation of it was easily the best i’ve seen in the anime. it looked really intense and i absolutely adore it. the sound design was also great as well as the line delivery.

story wise, i think the fact that they both made sure nobody was around before fighting to keep people safe was very in-character for them both. you could also tell neither of them initially wanted to fight but tetchou attacked because the book makes the agency appear guilty no matter what. yet he was still kind when talking to to kenji and kenji was kind back prior to and after the fight.

tetchou was also clearly distracted by jouno being gone to the point where he pushed justice (the thing he pretty much always prioritizes) aside in favour of helping jouno. that shows how much he cares and how worried he was. that puts a heavy emotional impact on the fight, the fact that tetchou was clearly desperate to save jouno quickly with literal justice on the line.

in contrast, kenji went up against the man who had already stabbed him numerous times before and was still kind and listened to him talk first. kenji is probably the nicest character in the entire series, he offered to help the man who tried to kill him and his friends. the fact that he could calm his anger after and still be completely willing to help tetchou shows a lot about kenji as a person. for a 14 year old, kenji is extremely mature and gentle for being willing to help after all of that.

they both could have easily fought until one was dead, but tetchou admitted his mistakes and offered his life to kenji because he realized he had failed. yet kenji seen the sincerity of that and offered to help him despite the fact that they were on the verge of killing each other.

they ended up bonding at the end. it genuinely made me so happy to see this animated, both admitting they had made mistakes and agreed to help each other. which means tetchou has likely broken the writing of the book by thinking clearly, much like how ranpo said the police could do in the first episode of season five.

i really hope we get to see them searching together soon, the two have very close morals and i could see a good friendship form between them. i feel like they’d make an insanely powerful duo in the future as well, i would love to see tetchou mentoring kenji.

"kenji. to have learned that name…was my greatest accomplishment of the day."

[panda-writes-kpop]

Sour Banana Slushie - Kazuha

a/n: I'm going to be completely honest with you, folks, I really wasn't going to post anything this week because I had exams last week and was too burnout to focus on anything else. however, I had a boring shift at work today and had some extra time on my hands so I have this lovely little draft for you. And yes, our beloved hunters in this fic will make their returns at a later date. :)

tw: kidnapping, demons, deception, there's an exorcism without saying there's an exorcism, some mentions of violence, one shotgun is seen and loaded but it unused, reader is vengeful AF, supernatural spoilers if you aren't caught up to season 3, oddly sad ending

summary: a lovely vacation with your beloved Kazuha goes wrong when you run into two demon hunters. which would be absolutely no problem... if you two weren't centuries-old demons.

♡ Masterlist ♡ ▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎ ☆ Prompt List ☆

"Next time, I'm choosing the motel." Kazuha sighs as you struggle against the bindings on your arms. "It's no use, trust me, I already tried."

"Where are we?" You slowly raise your head as the dizziness starts to fade - you must've been drugged while you weren't looking.

You remember the bright lights of the bar. The pretty women passing you by - but none would ever compare to Kazuha.

It didn't matter what form she took. You still loved her years and years later.

You were talking to two women - hunters, you were sure, and you tried to warn your beloved, but it was too late. The needle in your arm had already done you in.

Your eyes lock with the same two women, one who nervously checks the closed blinds and the other who holds a shotgun with one hand.

"Did you two think that you'd get away from us? After all of the shit you've done?" The girl with the shotgun scoffs before loading it up with... salt?

"We're just a couple of vacationers, please, let us go!" Kazuha tries to reason with them, but neither of your captors are swayed.

You look down at your feet, only to notice an odd looking pentagon that's been drawn at your feet. Once the realization hits you, you thrash around until your hands and feet are loose.

"Let us go. You don't know who you're messing with." You hiss as you pace around the circle.

Kazuha's tied up, away from your reach, but the pentagram above her head traps her in.

"Who would that be?" The girl at the window asks as you stop pacing.

"Siyeon-ah, you know they're not going to answer truthfully. They're demons-" The girl with the shotgun starts to reason with the other, but you interrupt their conversation.

"-Lilith." You stand still as her name passes through your lips. "She might tear me to bits for saying that, but you might not send me back to Hell if I'm honest with you."

"Darling-" Kazuha calls out to you as you sigh.

"If it counts for anything, SuA, I would've followed Siyeon if things had worked out between her and that other demon." You shrug as SuA scoffs before loading the shotgun.

"Siyeon, do the ritual." SuA looks over to Siyeon.

"What if they're telling the truth? We have a lead, a name of a very dangerous demon. We can finally do something to prevent the apocalypse."

"It's already come," Kazuha mumbles, "and we're not even the worst parts of it."

"SuA-"

"Say the damn words before I find the book that contains the ritual." SuA shuts Siyeon down, and the latter reluctantly begins to recite a chorus of Latin words.

Pain immediately covers your whole body as you fall to the floor. You hear Kazuha's screams echo around you, but you can't find the strength or energy to look at her.

You wouldn't harm any humans, at least, not any that didn't deserve it or muddle in your business. But upon hearing Kazuha's screams and cries for mercy, something within you broke.

You're going to rip those two hunters to fucking shreds when you're back above the surface.

"I love you, Kazuha." You grit your teeth as you feel yourself succumb to the pain.

It won't kill you, but you'll be sent back to hell until another doorway opens or some idiotic human summons you.

You swear that you can hear Kazuha whisper back to you, but you can't make out what she has said. Maybe it's the regrets of your mind speaking her words instead.

Either way, you just hope that Kazuha will be with you when you end up back in Hell. And when you do, the first thing you're doing to do is figure a way out of Hell.

Just so you can put an end to those fucking Winchesters.

[rose-of-oz]

🐼 + Bowie?

Thanks so much for this!! Also gonna tag @gabbysdawsons, @come-along-pond, and @stelstellakidd, as well as my new 911 babe @luucypevensie!! <3 <3

Would they consider going onto a game/talent show on TV? If so, which one have they always had in mind?: While he would do amazingly on physical-based shows like The Amazing Race, I don’t think he would actually want to be on one. He doesn’t like drawing the sort of attention that being on TV would bring.

Have they ever done something stupid to try and impress someone?: He definitely tried doing stupid stunts to impress some of the boys his age when he was at school, wanting them to like him and be friends with him. Unfortunately, they never worked and he almost always ended up hurt or laughed at by the other kids.

Something they collect: Books would probably be the best answer, especially older fantasy and sci-fi ones from the eighties and nineties; he’s got two whole shelves full at home.

Their theme song: “Heroes (we could be)” by Alesso and Tove Lo.

If they get sick easily or not: He has a pretty good immune system, so while he usually gets affected when cold and flu season comes around, he doesn’t really get sick that easily.

Their go-to destination for a day trip: Honestly, he’d rather just stay at home, curled up with a book and preferably his son and the men he loves, then go out anywhere on a day off.

If they've ever worked a summer job, what was it was: When he was a teenager, he used to spend the summers stocking shelves for the old man who ran the general store a few streets away from his parents. It was work he really enjoyed, and he always smiles remembering it.

Last year's Halloween costume: William Wallace from Braveheart - and yes, it was absolutely Buck’s suggestion, if only for an excuse to see Bowie shirtless.

Their go-to flavor for anything: Grape! He would happily have lived off of grape Kool-Aid as a kid if his mother hadn’t made sure he drank water.

Is there one thing they always manage to break no matter what? What is it?: The shoelaces on his work boots. They never seem to hold up when he ties them, and it’s a perpetual pain in his ass.

send me 🐼 + an oc!!

[dynared]

Random thoughts on the Earthspark cancelation and what comes next for the Transformers brand

What a week, huh? So, we got confirmation Earthspark was canceled, Hasbro put the absolute bare minimum effort into their 40th anniversary celebration leading to many people going to the movie theaters expecting Transformers the Movie and not DVD-quality episodes of the TV series with many demanding refunds, and some good news, Transformers from Skybound being nominated for several Eisner awards, the first time a Transformers comic has ever been nominated for the comic book world's Oscar equivalent.

So once again, the brand, the sole surviving Western mecha brand at this point unless that J-Lo movie next week somehow launches a new franchise (doubtful) is at a crossroads, especially with their enduring business partner Paramount in complete turmoil, with more senior executives jumping ship and an official NDA signed between Paramount and Sony yesterday which allows Sony access to Paramount's record-keeping in order to ascertain the value for a bid.

So with all that said, rambling about the franchise under the cut.

Earthspark is done after this season, and it's easy to see why. While many right-wing grifter types will point to the nebulous "wokeness", an ill-defined term at this point that means little besides "bad non-traditional thing", the reasons are pretty simple. Kids weren't interested, the toyline didn't sell, and the show, whether due to being distributed on a streaming service people only get for Sonic stuff and the occasional South Park special, had very poor ratings. If you're making a kids show and you bore the kids, you're done, no matter how "important" you think the stories are. The days of Ted Turner funding Captain Planet out of his own pocket are long gone.

Since Earthspark is dead, but another series is in development, it looks like Hasbro will not be letting the franchise rest for any set period of time. The most likely follow-up for Earthspark is a spin-off of Transformers One similar to what Tales of the TMNT is for Mutant Mayhem after the latter's box-office success. It's a pretty low-risk venture to boot, with the biggest issue being the usual problems with a movie spin-off (lower quality visuals, sound-alikes since you can't pay the celebrity actors to do the voices week in and week out) so long as the movie is a success. It also lets the franchise establish some needed distance from Earthspark's lack of success.

Now, the question of "What if One isn't a success?" definitely is one that Hasbro is contemplating. For all the ragging on Snake-Eyes GI Joe Origins as a box office bomb, Rise of the Beasts was widely viewed by Hollywood as a flop and the lowest-grossing film in the history of the franchise. While a lot of that may be due to the wishy-washy way the continuity has been handled and the inability to commit to a full reboot (Madame Web producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura has been insistent that all the Michael Bay movies are still canon, even though that makes no real sense), if One isn't successful, the franchise may need to step back for a year or two.

Any other new concept for a series that fans have wanted is simply not feasible due to time and budget. With Hasbro joined at the hip with Paramount (apparently Hasbro board members own Paramount stock, hence their desire to keep the relationship going so long as Paramount exists), they don't have access to or funds for numerous studios. Studio Trigger have been asking to do a Transformers show for years now, hence all the shout-outs in stuff like SSSS.Gridman and even Panty and Stocking. Studio Orange's head took to the internet earlier in the week asking to be able to do a mecha show. Neither is getting the call from Hasbro because Paramount would rather use local Western studios and save money.

That of course leads to the final option for an adaptation, a 1:1 or similar of the Energon Universe. The problem with that is simply put, it's way too soon. While it would assuredly get a lot of attention just by putting down "From the creator of Invincible and The Walking Dead" in the promos, animation lead times mean that it would be impossible to do at this point without overtaking the entire stock of comics and either resulting in huge delays between seasons, or filler. Neither of which would be helpful.

So I guess tl:dr - Earthspark bombed not because of a non-binary owl, but because the kids were bored by it, with even the Fox News controversy failing to get the show any real positive attention with its main demographic of families. As horrible for Hollywood as it may be to see Paramount be sold for parts to Sony, it may actually be Hasbro's best bet at making its tie-in brands successful again on the big and small screens. And if One doesn't succeed, they are going to be in big trouble because nothing else is realistically ready yet.